Vancouver supermodel Godfrey Gao is new face of Canadian tourism in China (PHOTOS)

This 30-year-old Canadian, born in Taiwan and raised in the Metro Vancouver region, is actually godly with his chiseled jaw, complexion and towering 6’4″ height.

Although he is relatively unknown in the North American market, Godfrey Gao is a household name in Asia where he has recently sealed lucrative modelling contracts and starred in a number of Chinese and Taiwanese television shows.

Gao is the first Asian model for Louis Vuitton, a contract that earned him the title of the ‘world’s first Asian supermodel.’ He has appeared on numerous fashion magazine covers, including GQ China, and in 2013 he had his Hollywood film breakthrough with the role of Magnus Bane in The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones.

More recently, he signed a deal to become the Canadian Tourism Commission’s (CTC) new ambassador for its marketing and awareness campaign within the Chinese market.

In 2015, Gao will be the host of the CTC-China channel, an online biweekly program covering travel in Canada and related lifestyle topics. Since its launch in 2012, the channel has recorded over 22 million Chinese viewers.

Working with the CTC, Gao’s first film projects will be on urban adventures in Vancouver, Whistler, Richmond and Toronto, before moving on to explore the nation’s outdoor winter activities such as skiing in British Columbia.

Earlier this week, Gao was already spotted filming ‘on set’ at Tojo’s Restaurant, on West Broadway in Vancouver, learning about the art of sushi from Chef Tojo himself.

CTC-China TV is part of the long-term strategy of the Canadian tourism bureau given the explosive growth in international tourism from Mainland China. In 2014, the number of visitors from China surged to nearly 450,000 and there was a 25.8 per cent increase in Metro Vancouver, one of the key markets for Asian tourism in Canada.

In a 2011 interview with Vancity Buzz, Gao said he still considers Vancouver his home having lived in the North Shore for most of his life. At the age of nine, his family left Taiwan and moved to North Vancouver; he attended elementary school at Queensbury and high school at Argyle and studied at Capilano University.

His entertainment career requires him to spend most of his time in Asia. When we asked him about what he misses about the city, he said: “I miss Vancouver’s clean air, I cannot stress that enough.”

“Other things I miss is the multicultural food found in the city, especially sushi, pho… and even Tim Hortons.”

“There’s also things like playing basketball at Kits and Ambleside Beach, the beautiful English Bay sunsets, hiking in the North Shore, and snowboarding at Whistler. Last but not least, my family still resides in North Vancouver, so I miss spending good quality time with them.”